Amongst The Roses
by Mizy
Summary: SebastianxOc, CielxOc in the background, few other pairings later... When a girl with a curse and her younger sister join the Phantomhive household, what will happen? Will she fall for the handsome demon? Or will fate keep them apart? Yeah, I know. I suck at summaries...
1. Ch 1: Moonlit Night

Ch. 1

I slunk through the trees. It was midnight, the half moon shining down. Suddenly, there was a huge mansion, right before my eyes. I decided to check it out. I walked through what appeared to be the gardens. Stopping in front of some beautiful roses, my favorite flowers, I checked my wounds. There were some scratches on my legs, but nothing too serious. And the old scar on my neck that refused to let me turn my head at certain angles. Suddenly, there was a pair of feet in front of me. Gloved hands reached down, and before I could run, held me up to a handsome face.

"My, what a lovely young lady you are. Those Blue eyes fit perfectly with your snowy fur." said the man. He had gorgeous red eyes, and shiny black hair. He seemed to be a butler of some sort, judging from his outfit. He sat down on a bench and set me on his lap as he began to stroke my back. "What a shame, a pretty kitten like you shouldn't be fighting, it's very unladylike." He said, noticing my scar and cuts. "Meow." was all I could say.

Normally, I don't like people. But this butler wasn't normal. I could tell he was a demon from his scent. And the way he spoke to me added some points to his score. We sat there for a moment in silence. Then from inside the mansion, a loud crash could be heard, along with someone calling out "Sebastian! You better come here!" The man sighed and set me down. "I'm very sorry, but I must leave you now, my lady. Those three idiots have made another mess for me to clean up it seems. Farewell." And with that, he was gone. I stared where the man- Sebastian, I assumed- had just been standing. After a moment, I left that place to go hunt for dinner.

"Grace! Where have you been? And why did you take so long?" exclaimed my human sister when I appeared at the edge of our camp.

I suppose I should explain. I was born as a demon. Okay, half-demon, but the demon came out more than the human. About three years ago, I crossed a wizard by accident, and he cursed me. So now, at night, I take the form of a furry white cat, and by day, I am stuck in the body of a human. I've raised my younger half-sister, Andrianna, or Adri, as she prefers, since she was born. Our mothers are dead, and our Father is too, maybe. He disappeared after her birth. To break the curse I'm supposed to have "True loves kiss". Pfft. As if that stuff is real.

I dropped the fish that was in my mouth next to Adri. In a moment she had it cooking on the fire she made earlier. I wanted to tell her about the mansion, and the Idea that was forming in my head, but it would have to wait until sunrise. Instead I watched her eat the fish, and curled into her side. "Promise you'll tell me in the morning?" she asked sleepily. "Meow." Yes.

I woke with my arm around my sister. I was human again. It was very early in the morning, the sun was just rising. I shook Adri awake. "Wake up!" I told her. "I have to tell you something. It's about last night!" She slowly began to wake. "Huh? But it's so early…" She said after a huge yawn. "Exactly, that's why we must hurry; we have a lot of walking. I'll explain along the way." I told her, stretching. We packed up our pathetic little camp, which consisted of a small blanket for warmth if our fire died, and an old frying pan. We dressed in our torn dresses. "You're getting taller." I noticed. "We're going to have to swipe newer clothes for you soon." She sighed at this, slightly more awake. "Again? That's the third time this month!"

We finished packing and headed off East, in the direction of the mansion from last night. I told her my plan while we walked. "But before we do this, I'm going to scope out some more tonight." I warned. "Okay." she agreed "But what are we going to do about…you know…" I sighed. "You know you can talk about the curse right? Anyway, I'll come up with something." She always hates to talk about the curse. She was the reason I fought that wizard, so she blames herself. But I don't. She is as guiltless as a newborn bunny.

When we were about a mile from the mansion, I stopped. It was almost sundown. We had walked all day. I looked to the west, watching the sun slink slowly down threw the trees. As it did, I felt the usual tremble that started with the transformation, then began to shrink. As I did, fur sprouted on my body, and I felt my tail emerge from my rear. I crawled out from under my clothes that fell when I shrank, and walked over to Adri.

She picked me up. "Okay, be careful." She said. I rolled my eyes at her. She made a face. "You know you may look like a cat, but you sure don't act like one." This caused me to stick my tongue out at her. "My point exactly." She said, placing me back in the grass. Once I was back down, I took off at full speed toward the mansion.

Once I arrived, I found a window that was close enough to the ground that I could leap to. Inside appeared to be a kitchen of some kind. There was a maid in there. She had red hair and these ridiculously large glasses that were surely not right for her. As I watched, she tried to put some plates into a cabinet, but slipped on…dust? The floor? I have no idea. I thought that the plates would come crashing down, but out of nowhere, my butler friend from last night caught them! "Oh my, Sebastian!" exclaimed the blushing maid. Sebastian sighed. "Mey-Rin, you really should be more careful. One of these days I'm going to have to hire someone who can at least stand on a flat surface without tripping!"

I left then, so I didn't notice when he came to the window and watched me walk to the gardens.


	2. Ch 2: Job Maybe?

Ch. 2

I sat down in front of the bench from the night before, and started licking my paws to wash myself. That may sound gross to you humans, but for us cats it is completely natural. I opened my eyes to see some gloved hands place a bowl filled with milk in front of me. It was Sebastian again. He sat down on the bench and watched me drink the milk. When I was done, I jumped onto his lap and curled into a little ball. He smiled at me. "Such a pretty young lady." He said. Then he pulled out a black silk ribbon and tied it around my neck. I meowed in surprise. "Just a small gift, from me to you." He said as he tied it around my neck. I sniffed it carefully. This was definitely the nicest thing I owned since Mother died. I put my paws on his chest, and licked his cheek. He blushed slightly, an odd look for him. "You are far too refined of a cat to be wandering outside; perhaps I shall take you in with me." He suddenly stated.

But when he picked me up and started to take me inside, I hissed and jumped out of his arms. I didn't mean to be rude, but I couldn't let Sebastian have me. He gave me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry; do you already have a home?" I just looked at him, trying to refrain from nodding like a human. He just kept staring at me, so I turned and ran away.

Back at the camp, I dropped small birds before Adri. "Great, I'm starving!" She exclaimed. "Meow." "Hey, where did you get that ribbon? It's awfully fancy…. Grace? Do you have a new boyfriend?" She teased. I gave her a look and swatted at her face. "Okay, Okay, jeez… No need to be huffy about it…" The rest of the night went somewhat like this: Adri ate her food, and tried to have a conversation with me, not an easy task in this body, then tended the fire, then slept. I tried to sleep too, but was busy working on my plan for the morning. I hoped it would work.

In the morning, I was human again. The sun wasn't too high up yet, I assumed it was about 9:00 in the morning. I got dressed, and retied the silk ribbon around my neck. "Wake up, it's time to move again!" I yelled in Adri's ear. She jumped up with a start, then glared at me. "You know I hate it when you do that." I smirked. "Yeah, but it's the easiest way to get you up." I replied. "Now move, my plan is going to take action today." She grumbled some more, but helped me clean up. We erased all signs of or being there, then set off toward the mansion again.

An hour later, we finally made it. We walked up to the big fancy doors and I knocked twice. After a moment or two, the door slowly opened. There stood my friend, Sebastian. He was even more handsome to my human eyes. I looked t Adri. She seemed captivated too. "May I help you young ladies?" Sebastian asked us, snapping me back to reality. "Oh… yes, we're looking for work, please. Is there a master home that we can speak to?" I asked, trying to sound formal. It was very hard. "Of course, right this way." He said, noticing, to my embarrassment, our tattered dresses and worn shoes. I grabbed my sister's hand and we followed the butler through the large house, until we stopped in front of a set of doors. Sebastian knocked twice.

"Enter." said a muffled voice. Sebastian opened the doors to a large study. In the back, a boy about the same age as Adri sat behind an impressive desk. He had dark teal hair, and Stunning blue eyes. Or, eye, I should say. His right one was covered by a large eye patch. "Milord, these two women have come here seeking work." Sebastian explained. "Come here and sit." The boy commanded, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. We obeyed. "Who are you?" he asked. "My name is Grace, and this is my younger sister, Adri." I told him. He looked at me as if I were lying.

I suppose it isn't hard to see why. Where my hair is golden brown and long and curly, Adri's hair is short, straight, and a dark red color. My eyes are Blue, while hers are brown. The only similarities are our pale skin. And, of course, our stubbornness and fighting skills. But you can't see that from the outside.

"We're half-sisters. We had different mothers." I explained. He seemed to find this more believable. "You say had?" he asked. "They are both dead, along with our father." I replied grimly. "Oh." He said quietly. For a moment, I thought I saw a flash of pity and sadness in his eyes. Then he regained his composure. "Where are you from?" I sighed. More questions. "Far away, I know that much. We've mostly camped out in forests, like the one outside your manor." He made no reaction. "And why should I hire you two girls?" He asked. My heart sank. It looked as though we wouldn't get the jobs!

Then my sister did one of the things that made stealing easy, and made me so proud it hurt. She widened her brown eyes, just slightly, to make her appear like a young, adorable child. And she whispered in a soft voice: "Please let us stay, mister." At first I thought it didn't work; younger people are harder to attack. But then his face softened slightly. "I suppose we could use some extra help… but do you think you have the skills to work in the Phantomhive household? Shit. This was the Lord Ciel Phantomhive's manor?! They only hire extremely skilled workers! But I'll try my best.

"If you're asking me if I can fight, then the answer is yes." I told the young lord. "What about her?" he asked, gesturing to Adri. She looked at me, and I nodded. "I can fight, but not as well as Grace." She stated simply. "You have to be able to, if you live the way we do." "Show me." He said. Sebastian came up and stood next to the young lord. I had forgotten he was in the room. "My lord, how about you let me fight the older girl, and if she survives, they shall both stay." He smiled a devilish grin that sent shivers down my spine. He was much scarier to humans. "Alright Sebastian, but do it outside. I don't want to rebuild another mansion."


	3. Ch 3: Fight for my life, and my job

Ch. 3

We made our way outside. I noticed that this was very close to where I had been meeting Sebastian at night. "Milady, we will begin when you are ready." Sebastian said elegantly. I nodded. "Just give me a few moments, please." I said. I walked over to where Lord Ciel and Adri sat down. "Adri, will you please hold some things for me?" She nodded. "Sure." I handed her my silk ribbon, the locket I always wore, and dropped my shoes at her feet. "Don't die on me sis." She called as I walked to Sebastian. "Are you ready?" I asked. "Of course." He said, and came at me with incredible speed.

He was so fast, I could just barely dodge. This went on for a while, with Sebastian calmly chatting as though we were sipping tea. "I couldn't help but notice that lovely ribbon that was around your neck, wherever did you get it?" he asked. "A very dear friend gave it to me once. He took care of me, and gave me this ribbon." I replied. He frowned at this, and thought for a moment. I tried to take the opportunity to punch his chest, but he caught my hand before I could make contact. Damn, he's a fast demon.

I jump away, landing on a tree branch. Thank goodness being a cat helped my balance skills. I look over at Lord Ciel and my sister. They were barely paying attention! Just sitting there, chatting away like two old friends.

Because I was so focused on the two teenagers, I didn't notice when Sebastian came up behind me. I whirled around, and he smiled at me. I couldn't move fast enough. He sent a blow straight to my chest, knocking me back several meters. I crashed into the ground and kept going. When I stopped, I couldn't move. I think I had some broken ribs. It just hurt so much.

"Gracey!" I heard Adri shout. She ran over. Lord Ciel did too. I smiled faintly. "I'm still alive, no need to worry." I said casually. My vision started to fade. The last thing I heard was Lord Ciel saying "That was a straight-on blow and she's still alive? Impressive." Then I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was in an unfamiliar room. I looked around. I was in a bed in a plain-looking room. The windows were open, and a nice breeze came through. By the lighting from outside, it appeared to be mid-afternoon. Good, that meant I wasn't out too long. I looked over. There was another bed next to mine, where Adri sat. She looked up at me.

"Where am I?" I asked, and then to be funny, I said "Who are you?" Her eyes got so big then. "I'm just kidding, ha ha-ouch!" Ok, laughing is a no-no. She glared at me. "Not funny. You almost died!" She started counting on her fingers. "Three broken ribs, the rest are bruised, and you hit your head pretty hard on the ground, you know." I touched my head carefully and winced. Someone had placed a large bandage around it. Feeling my ribs, there was a bandage around my chest too. "Yeah, I know." I grimaced.

The door opened. Lord Ciel and Sebastian walked in. "Oh, you're awake. Then let's get to the point. Even though you did not beat Sebastian in the fight, you did survive. Therefore, you will be allowed to work here." I smiled. Thank you, my lord. But I have a few rules…" He smiled in amusement. "Go on." I took a breath. "At sunset my sister and I are to retire to our room. I give her lessons at night, so hopefully she can someday use that education to get herself a better life. Also, it would be much appreciated if we could have some food for now? We haven't eaten all day." He thought for a moment, then smiled. "We have a deal. I will send someone with your new clothes and some food in a while. But just stay in bed and don't cause trouble for now." And with that, he left.

"Does this mean now I have to be taught by you?" Whined Adri a few minutes later. I sighed. "Only a little bit, just for appearances sake." "Fine…" she pouted. Then there was a small knock on the door. The red haired maid that I saw last night came in. "Good afternoon." She started, as she set a tray filled with food on my lap. "I'm Mey-Rin, the other maid, it appears that we're going to be working together now, eh?" She smiled. I smiled back. "It appears so. My name is Grace, and this is my sister, Adri. Sorry I can't help you right now." I smiled sheepishly, gesturing to my ribs and head. "Oh, yes, of course, that must've been quit a fall, out of a second story window." She said as she hung some maid uniforms identical to hers in the wardrobe. Next time don't lean out to far." She smiled sympathetically at me and left."

I looked at Adri, confused. "I didn't fall out of a window…" "That's what we're saying." She explained, while starting to eat some cake from the tray. "For some reason, Lord Ciel doesn't want anyone to know about the fight." I shrugged, then ate cake. "I think I'll do another surveillance ton-" I started, but Adri interrupted. "Oh, no you don't. Human or cat, you're hurt, and you are going to stay in that bed even if I have to tie you down." She said firmly. "Whatever…" I sighed.


	4. Ch 4: Better and Better

Ch. 4

~Two weeks later~

"Hey, did you finish dusting that bookcase?" I yelled over to Adri. We've been working here for two weeks now. The work isn't all that hard. My wounds are healed. The other staff members are nice. I think Finny, the gardener, might have a crush on Adri, and Bardroy, the cook, seems to like to be a bit too close for my liking to me. Tanaka is just odd. I still transform into a cat every night, but we've somehow managed to keep it a secret. I think Sebastian suspects something though. Oh well. He can deal with it.

I walked outside with a bag of trash from the room I was cleaning. When I was outside, I was suddenly face to face with a giant dog! "A Hell Hound…" I growled to myself. "Of course, Lord Ciel would keep a _Hell Hound_ on the grounds!" Suddenly the dog rushed towards me. I braced myself, ready for… a naked man hugging me?! What the Hell?

"Pluto, Come here!" I heard Sebastian yell. Pluto-the naked man- let go of me and ran to Sebastian on all fours. He then proceeded to latch himself on to him. Sebastian sighed. "I see you've met Pluto, the guard dog." I walked up to them. "Er, yes, I suppose I have." Pluto smiled at me then barked as he latched himself onto me again. I patted his head, then smiled. "Normally I dislike dogs-I detest them, really- but this one is kind of cute." I said. Sebastian gave me a surprised look. "You dislike dogs too?" I nodded. "They're noisy and slobbery, and they always used to chase me- I mean _my_ cat. But she showed them, and they stopped. Unfortunately, she, um, died, a few years ago." I half-lied.

I really did hate dogs, but liked Pluto. I never owned a cat, though. The one those nasty dogs chased was me. Sebastian smiled his demon smile, and walked away. That weirdo. I haven't met with him as a cat in a while. My job requires me to actually sleep at night. I went back inside and finished up my chores.

I yawned as I went into our room. Adri did the same. "Hey sis, can we skip the teachings today? I'm really tired." She asked me. I raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Ok, we can. I'm tired too." I sat on my bed and looked at her. She was deep in thought, which meant she was about to ask me a question. "Hey sis, will you tell me the story of my mother again?" I looked at her, surprised. She hadn't asked for that story in months. "Why do you want that story?" I asked. "Oh, Ciel and I were talking about family and stuff today…" I raised an eyebrow. She and Lord Ciel seemed awfully close these days, and now she was leaving out the Lord part. I know they often chat after she delivers his afternoon tea sometimes. "Okay." I said, moving to sit on her bed.

"You're mother was a beautiful woman. She was kind and smart, and had the same eyes and hair as you." I started. She smiled and leaned against her pillow. "I knew her for a while, because Father married her before you were born. We were pretty happy." I looked at her, and realized she wouldn't stay awake through the whole story. But I continued. "When I learned she was pregnant, I was so happy. I helped her whenever I could. Unfortunately though, she died while giving birth to you… and father was so grieved that he hung himself when you were two months old." Of course, she was asleep now. I stood in front of the window, and watched the sun set while I transformed. When that was complete, I leapt out into the gardens.

As I walked around in the night, I thought about what I told Adri. As I always did, I lied about her birth. This is what really happened:

When I was five years old, my mother, a demon, was killed. My scumbag father took me, and married another woman, this time human. This woman died in the birth of Adri. I will never forget when I really met her. My father came to me, half drunk like always, carrying a small bundle. "This baby's mother is dead…You are going to be her mother now." And he just staggered away. I never saw him again. An old friend helped me to raise Adri, teaching me about babies and what they need. Then she disapeared too, and we were on our own. Luckily for me, Adri came out a good kid.

Since I was lost in thought, I didn't hear Sebastian come by. I looked up at him when he stopped near me. He reached down, and picked me up, cradling me in his arms as he sat down. "And where have you been hiding flower? It has been a while. I see you're still wearing the ribbon." It was true, that ribbon never left my neck. For some reason, it stayed with me when I transformed. Usually my clothes fell off. Oh well.

"Hmm… I wonder why you only come out at night. And why did you start coming just before our new maids?" He asked me. I can't let him find me out! Who knows what might happen! We may lose our jobs, and I can't let that happen. I really want my little sister to grow up with people, in one place. Not just with me in the woods! I decided to let it go for now. We spent an hour like that in silence, before there was a crash and Sebastian had to go. After that, I went to bed.

The next day started out normally. Adri and I got up, got dressed, then went our separate ways to do different chores. As I was walking down a narrow hall, I passed Sebastian. Before I knew what was happening, he had me pinned against the wall. He held my wrists, so I couldn't run, or slap him like I wanted to. "Sebastian, what the He-" I started. "What are you hiding? I know there's a connection between you and that strange cat that comes here." He started to say. "Why do you disappear with the sun? And why do you have this ribbon I gave to that cat, and Why do you have the same scar she does?!" He was making me really nervous now. He smiled his demon grin. "Don't look so flustered, Grace. It really doesn't suit you. Now give me some answers!"

But before I could say anything, there was a huge crash right inside the doors we were next to. At first I thought it was just Mey-Rin again, that poor girl. But there were more bangs and crashes, and what sounded like Adri screaming! Sebastian let go of me and we ran into the room. It was a mess! There was a broken window, knocked over furniture, and a scrap of fabric blowing around in the breeze. I caught it and had to choke back a cry.

"What is it?" Sebastian asked, coming up next to me. I turned to him with tears in my eyes. "Part of Adri's uniform! Whoever it was, they kidnapped my sister!"


	5. Ch 5: The Truth

Ch. 5

I paced back and forth as Sebastian explained what happened to our master. While I paced, I thought. I couldn't lose Adri, she was my world! The only family I had! Then I decided to confess to Lord Ciel. If I wanted this to work, I had to tell. I noticed that as Sebastian talked, Lord Ciel's eyes got bigger. When he heard the whole story, he jumped up. "We must go after them!" he shouted. He must really care for my sister, I thought. "Lord Ciel, there is something I should tell you both..." They both looked at me. Ciel gestured for me to sit in the chair across from him, so I did.

"I know I don't need to tell you about Demons, as it appears you made a contract with one. Yes, Sebastian, I know what you are. But there are other beings too. Wizards, Angels, Fairies, all kinds of things! I was born as a half demon. I lived with my mother, until she was killed. Then I lived with my human father. His new wife, a human, died giving birth to Adri. Then he disappeared and we were on our own." I didn't look at their faces, afraid of their expressions. "While traveling, we met a Wizard. He really liked Adri for some reason, and kept trying to buy her. I always refused, the last time insulting him greatly. Then he cursed me into a human body who transforms into a cat at night."

There was silence for a while. Finally, Lord Ciel said "I see. That certainly explains some things. Like how you disappear at night and the strange things Sebastian tells me about you." I looked up at him. "You mean… you don't hate me for what I am? I won't lose my job?" He smirked. "We'll deal with that later. For now we should find your sister." I nodded, anger burning my skin. Whoever did this will definitely pay. "Sebastian, I want you to make a list of those who might want to get back at either me, or Grace by doing this." Ciel commanded, but I sighed.

"My lord, we can simply just track her, you know. Between me and Pluto, it shouldn't be hard." He stopped, and looked at me, slightly embarrassed. Aww. He was adorable when he blushed. "Forgive me; I'm used to doing things differently. Sebastian, forget my last order, and get Pluto's leash. And clothes!" He shouted as Sebastian left to fulfill his command. I smiled. What an obedient little demon he was. I'm glad I don't make contracts.

An hour later, Pluto and I stopped in front of a beat-up, but all too familiar building in London. I used to know the owners of this place, and they weren't people to mess with. The trail led inside, but something was wrong. It didn't… smell right. It was probably just me. After all, I hadn't gone inside that place since I was twelve years old, so about five years ago.

I turned to Lord Ciel and Sebastian. "This is it, the trail ends here. You should definitely stay here." I held up a hand when Ciel started to protest. "Trust me, you don't want to go in there…" I shuddered at memories of this place. Sebastian started forward. "A lady shouldn't go somewhere dangerous without an escort, I shall go too. My lord, you should take this thing-" he gestured to Pluto clinging to his leg- "and go back to wait in the carriage for now." I narrowed my eyes, but nodded. "Fine, come on then." We entered the building together.

"Trust me Sebastian, I'm no lady." I laughed as we walked through the first room. This one wasn't so bad. Maybe some old stains here and there, but nothing fresh. Yet. "You aren't? You have that Stubbornness that I find most Nobles to have." He told me. Then he was silent for awhile. "You are that white cat that comes, aren't you?" He asked quietly. "Yes, I am." I answered. Then I giggled at him. "You really are much more fun when I'm a cat!" He gave me a disaproving and annoyed stare. "Oh, don't look so flustered, Sebastian. It really doesn't suit you." I said, throwing his words back at him. Then I stopped.

We had entered the third room. Before us was a flight of stairs leading down. "Ok, here's where things get nasty…You should watch your step…" I grabbed his hand, surprised when he didn't pull away, and led him down the first stairs. "How do you know this place so well?" He asked quietly. "For one thing, I can see in the dark, being a cat and all… I also know the owner of this place, and I've been here more times than a person should…." I sighed and punched myself inside. Why did I tell a _Demon_ all this? It's not like they have to have feelings, not like me...

The room was in a horrible state. There was a skeleton in the corner, various weapons lying on a table, nothing new. But there was blood everywhere. On the walls, dripping from the ceiling, it was hard not to step in it. I hoped that it wasn't my sisters… "Just a bit further. The last room is just ahead." I whispered to Sebastian. We stopped in front of the partially opened door and peered in.

Adri was tied to a chair. There was blood on her arms and cheeks, and her dark red uniform had rips all over it. The owner of this retched place sat in front of her, smiling. His followers were all around him, also grinning at my poor sister. Of course, instead of being afraid like she should have been, she was running her mouth.

"You bastard, is that all you've got?" she grinned. I sighed, and looked at Sebastian. "Sebastian, would you please go fetch my sister? I would appreciate it if you took her back to Lord Ciel…" He smiled at me. "Understood, I'll be back as soon as I can." Then he turned serious for a moment. "Don't forget Grace, you're only human…" I was surprised, mostly at the worry in his voice. Despite working together, we weren't that close… I watched as he walked in quickly, picked up my sister-chair and all of course- and ran out of there quickly. No one knew what was happening, someone fired some shots but missed, and I smiled at Adri as they passed. "Grace?" I heard her yell as she was carried away.

I walked into the room and smiled at the leader. "Hello again, Damien, sweetheart." He smiled back. "Hey baby, it's been awhile."


	6. Ch 6: Welcome to My Little Hell

Ch. 6

I smirked at Damien, my old partner, as I walked into the room. "Still as retched as ever, I see." I spat at him while I picked up a knife on the table. I twirled it in my fingers then shot it into the throat of the closest henchman. He screamed in pain as the blood spurted out from the wound. I watched as he collapsed in a bloody puddle on the floor. The other men started to reach for their weapons, but Damien held up a hand and chuckled as they scowled at me. "You always were my best worker. Too bad your sister runs her mouth too much." I rolled my eyes. "She gets it from me. Why did you take her?" I asked.

He laughed and moved very close to me. "To bring you back, of course." He whispered in my ear. I moved away, and picked up a handgun. I studied it for a moment, then shot another man in the head. The shot went straight through, and blood poured from the hole. All the others were starting to look really nervous now. "You always were bad at tidying up." I told Damien. He laughed again. "Yeah, that's why I had you. And you are still cleaning up shit, even now." He said, gesturing to my uniform.

I shot someone else in the head, then narrowed my eyes at him. "Your men suck. Don't tell me you want me back?" He smiled, and I knew that was exactly what he wanted. "Well too bad. I left you, and I'm not coming back." He laughed at the memory. That sick bastard. "Yeah, and you killed all my men back then too. Baby, just come back to me." Two more shots, two more victims. I tossed away the now empty gun and picked up another. There was only one target next. I smiled sweetly at Damien, the man who made me the killer I was. "Fuck you. Like Hell I will." And I fired.

To my surprise, he didn't die. He dodged with incredible speed, and grabbed my throat. He slammed me into the wall. He was so much stronger now, I couldn't breathe. He smiled and whispered in my ear. "Well too bad. You aren't the only one who has changed." I growled and punched his head. He flew back a bit, not expecting it. I coughed as air rushed back into my lungs. He was up again in a flash, and grabbed a gun. He fired at me. I dodged the first one completely, but the second bullet hit my shoulder. I gasped in pain, and fell, slipping in some blood. Good thing my uniform is red.

Damien walked up to me, grinning. "You're losing your touch, I can't use someone whose always slipping. Too bad you have to put down useless animals." He pointed his gun at my head. This was it. I would die here in this bloody little room.

"I think that's quite enough." Said a silky voice.

Damien and I looked up. Sebastian was standing right behind him. In one move, he grabbed Damien's arm, and twisted it, hard. I heard a sickening snap, and Damien screamed in pain. Sebastian let go of him, and he fell. I looked at my shoulder. It was still bleeding heavily, and I started to get dizzy. Sebastian was still beating up Damien, but I couldn't see anything. All I heard were his screams. I smiled to myself. Next thing I knew, I was being picked up by Sebastian. I smiled at him. "Please don't tell." I whispered, before passing out as he carried me out of that Hell.

~Sebastian's POV~

I carried Grace out of the building. Her shoulder was bleeding less heavily, but I would have to treat it soon. But for now I just carried her. I still couldn't believe that she was the cat I had become friends with. She mentioned a curse. I wondered how she could break it, and if I could help. I frowned at the thought. Why did I want to help? Why did I care so much about this stupid girl? I kept walking until I reached the carriage. Gently, I placed her inside, ignoring all of Adri's questions. "It would be best if she tells you herself." Was all I said. She quieted down, and I climbed into the driver's seat. I drove us all home.

**A/N: Thank you guys for all the reviews! Just so you know, Adri and Grace's uniforms are the same as Mey-Rin's, but they are a darkish-red color.**


	7. Ch 7: The Past

Ch. 7

**A/N: OMG thank you so much for all the nice reviews!** **To be honest, I didn't actually expect a whole lot of happy thoughts... (thanks to my degrading family -_-)**

~Grace's POV again~

I woke up in my own bed. There were people all around me. On my left, my sister, Pluto (?) and Lord Ciel. On my right, Finny, Bardroy, and Mey-Rin. Oh, and Tanaka, that silly old man. I smiled at everyone. "Hello, are we having a party in here?" Adri looked up at me. She smiled, then punched me in the head. "If you ever get shot again, I'll kill you myself!" she yelled. Lord Ciel grabbed her arm and made her sit back in her chair, clearly annoyed. "And if you keep hitting her, then she will be dead." He said. I expected my sister to make a snappy reply, but she didn't. She must really like him!

I looked around the room. "Where's Sebastian?" I wondered aloud. He wasn't there. "Oh, he's probably putting away the medical stuff. He fixed you up, you know." Said Mey-Rin. "I- I mean…WE were worried about you, but he wouldn't let us help!" pouted Bardroy I smiled at him, and he perked up slightly. Adri stood up. "Okay, everyone out! Let the invalid get her rest." She pushed the servants out the door. "You too." She pointed at Lord Ciel. He smiled at me as he stopped in the doorway. "By the way, Grace, you still have your job." I smiled. "Thank you, my lord." Adri playfully pushed him out and shut the door.

"Ok, start talking." She said, suddenly serious. I sighed. I told her about telling the truth to Lord Ciel. Then I told how we tracked her, and that her kidnapper was just someone who I used to know from "The Street Days", what we called our time living in London on the streets. Suddenly, there was a small knock at the door. "It's me." I heard a muffled Sebastian say. I nodded at Adri, and she opened the door. There stood my Hero, holding a tray with a teapot and a cup on it. He came in, and set the tray on the table next to me.

"I'm, um, going to check on something." Said Adri as she left the room. I smiled at Sebastian. "Thank you so much…" I said. He poured something into the cup then handed it to me. I looked at it. It was white, not tea. "It's milk. I know how much you love it." He said. I sipped some. It was very good. As I drank, he said "I hope you will give me some answers about that man." I sighed, and set the cup down.

"When I was about eleven, I lived on the streets of London with Adri. Adri was five by then. We both worked, but not in the same place. One day, I broke a vase, and lost my job. I didn't want to tell Adri, so I found a new way to get money. I became a thief, and I worked under Damien. He wasn't much older than me, but he was strong. He trained me until I was a great thief and killer. This went on for about a year. I'm surprised she never found out. I was his best worker, and his…lover. I told him about Adri once, and he wanted to meet her. To train her like he did me, to make her a skilled murderer. It was then that I saw what I had become. I was a killer, used for horrible reasons. So I killed all of his men, took Adri and left. We lived with another family for a while, then roamed the country, until we came here."

I didn't look at him at first. But when I did, he was smiling. "Is that all?" he asked. "You…don't hate me?" He rolled his eyes. "I'm a demon, I've had more than my share of deaths you know." I sighed. Yeah, but yours probably weren't-" I stopped. The sun had gone down, and I transformed. I crawled out from the covers and looked at Sebastian. He looked surprised. "So that's how it happens. Why does the ribbon stay with you?" he asked. I shrugged, then winced. I'd forgotten my shoulder.

He sighed, and picked me up. "I told you, you're only a human." I stuck my tongue out at him, and he chuckled. "I do believe I prefer you in this form. Much lovelier, and quieter." Wait, did he just complement me? I climbed onto his shoulder, and purred in his ear. He reached up and scratched behind on of my ears.

Of course, my sister has to butt in at that moment. She took one look at the two of us, then frowned. "She's supposed to be resting." She said. I stuck out my tongue and jumped to her head. "Hey, get off of me!" She yelled at me. I batted at her head, then jumped back down to the floor. My shoulder was feeling better already. I twirled around Sebastian's feet. "You're right, I should go. You need to heal." He said. I mewled apologetically. He smiled at us, then left.

"Ooh! Gracey's got a boyfriend!" sang Adri.

I growled and bit her wrist.


	8. Ch 8: One of Those Few Peaceful Days

Ch. 8

I sighed and looked out the window. The sun was shining brightly. Summer was coming soon, and with it, my birthday. What a depressing thought.

"Is there a problem?" asked Sebastian, who suddenly appeared next to me. I jumped. "Will you stop that?!" I yelled. "You're going to kill me one of these days!" he chuckled, and walked away. What a weird guy to have as a friend. I thought about that word for a moment… friend… were we really friends? It was true, we had been getting along better lately...

I finished cleaning and walked into the kitchen, where Bardroy was burning something…again.

He looked up when I came in. "Oh! Grace! Would you um, hand me that bucket?" I looked down. By my feet were two buckets. One filled with water, the other with what smelled like Gasoline. "That depends, do you want to put out the fire or make it bigger?" I laughed and handed him the bucket of water. He turned red and poured the water onto the fire. It slowly sizzled out.

"Man, that's the fifth time this week! And it's only Wednesday!" He exclaimed. I smiled and felt sorry for him. "Don't worry, I'll help you clean it up." I hugged him.

Sebastian walked into the room. "What is that smell?" he asked, then noticed me hugging Bardroy. I swore his eyes narrowed a bit. "Oh, we were just putting out a fire." I said casually, letting go of Bardroy and grabbing a broom. "I see…" Sebastian said. Then he returned to normal. "Grace, I have some… other business to take care of, so please deliver the young master's afternoon tea." He prepared it while I cleaned Bard's mess, then walked out. I took the tea tray, leaving a red Bardroy standing in the kitchen alone.

I knocked on the door to Lord Ciel's study. "Come in." I heard him say. I walked in carrying the tea tray carefully. I set it on the desk, and started to serve it. "Today Sebastian has prepared for you Earl Grey tea with a slice of Cherry pie." I said. I may not be as good as Sebastian, but I can at least try to be like him. Lord Ciel sipped the tea, then put it down. "Grace, I think we need to have a talk."

I sat down across from him. I felt so nervous, even though I was told I would keep my job. "Is this about my cat identity?" I asked, worried. The incident had been three days ago. My shoulder was stiff, but well enough for me to work. "Yes." He said. "I think you shouldn't tell anyone who doesn't already know. Also, if you could refrain from wandering inside the house too much as a cat would be nice, since I am allergic to cats." I nodded, relieved. He was just setting some house rules. "Is that all?" I asked, standing up to leave.

"Actually there is one other thing." He said. I turned back toward him. "Yes?" I asked. "When is Adri's birthday?" I started. He wanted to know her birthday? "It's December nine-teenth." I replied. "Thank you, you may go." I nodded, and closed the doors behind me. That was a strange event, but I had to get back to work.

That night, I wandered outside. The breeze was light and pleasant. I sat down in my usual spot. I wondered if Sebastian would come. I hadn't seen him since he left. Was he upset that I hugged Bard? We were only friends, at least, to me. I sat down and decided to wait.

I waited. And waited. But he didn't show.

I sighed. He hadn't shown, and the sun would rise soon. I walked back to my room's window. But before I could jump in, I was picked up. It was Sebastian. "Now then, were you really going to leave without talking to me?" He asked silkily. I jumped to his shoulder and bit his ear. He sighed. "I'm sorry Grace, but I had business to take care of. I sighed and shifted my position so I could see his face. Our eyes met for a moment, and I felt something. What was it? It was unfamiliar to me, and I looked away.

The sun was rising.

I jumped into my room and went to my bed just as I transformed back into a human. I got dressed, then returned to the window, trying hard not to wake my sister. I sat on the sill and looked out. Sebastian had disappeared again. I sighed. How quickly that Butler comes and goes!


	9. Ch 9: New Girl, dresses, and the Forest

Ch. 9

I yawned. Tomorrow was my birthday. It was just another reminder that my mother was gone. I dusted the windowsill as Adri straightened the books on a shelf and Mey-Rin dusted another window. That was a rare moment, for the three of us to clean the same room at the same time. We were usually so spread out, I had no idea how we all ended up here. The sun sank low in the sky, and I would have to retire soon.

I looked out the window. A carriage came and stopped in front of the Manor. "Mey-Rin, who's that?" I asked as a young blonde girl in a frilly pink dress ran out of the carriage excitedly. "Oh, that's Lady Elizabeth, yes she is." "Lady Elizabeth?" asked Adri, coming over to stand by us. "Yes, she's the young master's fiancé. She comes here every now and then." I noticed Adri stiffened slightly at the word 'fiancé'. Mey-Rin finished what she was cleaning and left the room.

"Are you ok?" I asked worriedly, putting a hand on Adri's shoulder. She shrugged it off. "Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" she said cheerfully, leaving the room. I stared after her. It was obvious she was head over heels for our master. Sighing, I went to clean the entrance room.

"Welcome again, Lady Elizabeth." Sebastian said to the new guest as I walked into the room. Lord Ciel followed shortly. "Elizabeth, what are you doing here?" he asked, clearly annoyed. Apparently she's come unexpectedly before. "Why I wanted to see you Ciel! And Please call me Lizzie!" she exclaimed, running up and hugging him tightly. I moved next to Sebastian. "Is she always like this?" I whispered. "Unfortunately." He replied with a strained smile on his face. "And she's only just begun…" Adri came down the great staircase, probably passing through to get to our room. Lady Elizabeth looked up at her.

"Ooh Ciel who is that?" she asked, running to stare up at Adri. "That is our… new maid Adri." said Ciel. "And that girl next to Sebastian is her sister Grace. They've been with us for a few weeks now." The young girl looked up at me startled. I guess I do blend in well. "Wow! They're so cute!" she squealed.

Adri and I shared a look. Cute? Us? This girl had problems. "We simply must have a party tomorrow! And we can dress up and dance and…" she rattled on and on. Adri and I tried to sneak away while she was distracted. "Where are you going?" asked our master. There was a slight smirk on his face. "Don't you want to get to know Elizabeth?" We glared at him together. "There is nothing we'd like better, but we have lessons to do. And besides, I have some… errands to take care of tonight." I said, trying to hide the fact that this girl made me want to puke.

Lord Ciel frowned. "Well you can excuse your lessons for tonight. But if Grace is unavailable, then I suppose Adri will have to keep Elizabeth company." I looked at Adri. She was glaring at him as if she wanted to cut head off with one of her knife tricks. "Fine…" she muttered. Lady Elizabeth squealed again. She grabbed my sister and ran her up the stair case, chattering something about dress up.

"She will eat you alive if she lives through that." I chuckled at Lord Ciel. He came to stand by me. "Yes, I suppose. But I'll get you to protect me. After all, I saved you didn't I?" We laughed. He was right. It would've been bad If I changed in front of that girl.

"I never knew you had a sense of humor." I said to him. "Yes, well, I've been feeling… different lately, it seems." He said. "Adri too." I sighed. "She used to be so depressing at times, and then we came here." I put my hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Ciel Phantomhive." I walked to my bedroom.

Later that night I climbed one of the trees and looked into a window. Lady Elizabeth was there, making some alterations on a dress Adri was wearing. It was light green and very frilly. Her red hair that was usually in a ponytail was let down. She looked lovely like that. She turned and I saw her face. Wait, she was smiling? That was weird, she hated frilly stuff. Maybe she was the one who should've been born as a Noble. I moved to a different branch.

Pluto was lying below this one in his human form. I jumped down in front of him and nuzzled his shoulder. He barked and licked my face. Ew. It was grosser as a cat. I walked away from the dog, very annoyed. He whined but didn't follow. I kept walking until I came to the edge of the property. This was the forest I spent days in with my sister.

I could leave. It wouldn't be hard. Adri is being taken care of. A person like me doesn't belong with people. I took a step towards the trees. There was nothing holding me back.

"Where are you going?"

There was someone holding me back. Sebastian. I looked at him. He came out of nowhere, like always. I looked back at the great trees. They could wait. I ran to Sebastian and jumped into his arms. He held me close to his chest tightly. "You weren't really thinking of leaving us were you?" he asked. I stayed silent. There was something weird going on in my chest. It hurt and was pleasant at the same time. I didn't understand it.

He carried me back to our bench and sat down. He started to scratch my head, and I purred. "You know Grace, I was thinking about you earlier." He started. My ears pricked up. "How old are you?" he asked. That was random. I meowed seventeen times. Technically, I wasn't eighteen until tonight. "When is your birthday?" He asked next. I hissed. I didn't want anyone to know that. People knowing meant parties, which I hate. He looked at me, surprised at first. Then just smiled his demon smile.

Annoyed, I stalked back to my room.


	10. Ch 10: Birthday

Ch. 10

I yawned as I got up that morning. Adri did the same. She looked at me. "Happy birthday sis." She said, rubbing her eyes. "Shh! Don't say it out loud! What if someone hears you!" I whisper-screamed. She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, as if anyone could hear us through these thick walls." We got dressed together and set out for breakfast.

"G'morning everyone." I greeted our co-workers as we walked into the kitchen. They nodded and greeted us tiredly. Sebastian wasn't there but had left a note with our assignments on them, which Mey-Rin read aloud to us.

"Hey Finny, did you trim that tree over in the gardens by the roses yesterday?" I asked the boy, slightly younger than me. "I think so, why?" he asked. "Because I think you may have trimmed it a bit… too much."

In reality half the tree was gone. I had seen it last night. The boy wailed. "Now Sebastian's going to kill me!" Adri sighed and sat next to him with her food. "Relax Finny, we'll take care of it. Won't we Grace?" She had an evil look in her eye. I suppose she was mad at me for skipping out on her last night. "Um, yeah, we'll cover you for it…" He was so happy he started crying again. I sighed and sat next to Bard.

"So Adri," he said. "How did it go with Lady Elizabeth last night?" Us older workers chuckled. She gave us a glare that could mimic Sebastian's. "Say another word and I'll send this fork into your head." And she stormed off. I sighed. "She really does take after me…" We laughed together again and went our separate ways.

I passed down the hallway that had many guest rooms in it. As I passed one, Lady Elizabeth burst out of it and grabbed my arm. "Oh! You must be the other new maid! I'm Lizzie, you should come and play dress up with me! We can get you ready for this afternoon's party!" she babbled and dragged me into the room.

Three hours and sixty dresses later, we found one we both liked. It was a midnight blue, almost black dress that reached my ankles. The sleeves were long and droopy, leaving my shoulders bare. There were frills that came down in the front and came up in the back to a neat little bow. My hair hung down out of the usual bun, curly as ever, reaching my waist. The Black Ribbon remained tied to my neck. On my feet, I wore dark brown, knee length boots.

Elizabeth grinned at my reflection. "Now we can go to the party once I find your sister! Wait right here!" I sat on the edge of the bed as she went searching for Adri. Being in this finery reminded me of my childhood days with my mother. I touched the scar on my neck. I tried not to think about that day, twelve years ago.

"I found her!" yelled Elizabeth as she dragged a reluctant Adri through the door. "I don't even know what to do at these things!" she cried to me. I smiled. "Just relax, you probably won't have to do anything but sit and look happy. "That's right, now go put on that dress from last night!" said Elizabeth as she began putting her own outfit on. It was a deep red, a good color for her, and very cute. I helped her get dressed as Adri came out of the bathroom in the dress from last night.

She kept her hair up this time, but tied the ponytail with a green ribbon that matched the ones on her dress. "Lovely!" Elizabeth exclaimed. I nodded tiredly. This girl was wearing me out! We both went to the mirror and chose a very dark lipstick. "Now let's go! Everyone is probably already down there!" Wait… everyone?

It turns out, there were more guests than I thought. I'd pictured a quiet little Phantomhive household party. This was not it. There were many more nobles here. Over in a corner there was a large table with many elegant foods on it. Sebastian must've known there would be so many people.

Elizabeth led us to where my master and Sebastian were standing. They stared at us. "You three ladies look very charming." Smiled Sebastian. I felt myself turn red slightly and looked away. "Come on Ciel lets dance!" Elizabeth grabbed his arm and rushed away towards the other dancing couples. "Man, that girl has too much energy…" I sighed and turned to Sebastian. "Care to explain all these people?" I asked. He smiled. "The young Master thought it would be beneficial to throw a social event such as this one." "Uh huh, I don't understand any of that. What I do understand, is that I'm not a maid today, and you prepared a tasty looking buffet, so I'll be over there." I replied laughing, leading my sister away.

"So this is what it's like. I've heard of these things, but never experienced one." Murmured Adri. "Trust me, they aren't as fun as they seem…" I muttered back.

Suddenly a man with pale blonde hair approached us. He looked very familiar, but I knew I'd never seen him before. He turned to me and looked me over with a dreamy look. "Aha! I have found a lovely young Blackbird at this glorious party! She has the beautiful brown plumage and the sweet voice! Also the eyes of a kind heart with just a hint of aggression!" He exclaimed. Was this guy for real?! I looked at him. "Me?" I asked. "Of course you! Come, let us dance!" He grabbed my hand and whisked me away from Adri.

When we reached the dance floor, we twirled and spun along with the other couples. I wasn't very good, but I could keep up ok. I looked around us, trying to ignore this strange man's words. Not far from us were Ciel and Elizabeth, tottering along. Ciel wasn't very good… There were few other people that I knew here. Over in the corner I noticed Sebastian was staring at me, looking annoyed. 'Help me' I mouthed at him. Luckily he got the hint.

"Excuse me, may I cut in?" he asked and kicked the man halfway across the room. I smirked at him as he grabbed my waist. "Nice kick. Who was that guy?" "Oh, just another idiot noble who thinks every lovely girl is his." He replied. I laughed. "I suppose that's a compliment?" "I suppose it is." I laughed some more.

We danced many dances together. Even when almost everyone left, we didn't. He was a good dancer, and I liked chatting with him. "Aren't these things usually held at night?" I asked at one point. "Usually, but this time it's during the day." Was his reply. Elizabeth was dozing on one of the lush sofas, while next to us, Lord Ciel and Adri were, um, "dancing". To put it bluntly: they both suck at dancing.

Around five o'clock I headed outside. There was a nice breeze blowing. It lifted my hair up around me. I enjoyed that feeling, those few seconds of peace. Then, all too soon, it was gone. That's the thing about peace. You have it, enjoy it, love it, then it is snatched from you.

"What a nice breeze." said Sebastian. "Do your footsteps even make noise?" I asked. "No." he replied. I looked up at him. "This was fun, but I believe it will end soon." I said, nodding to the low sun. "Well then I'll make this fast." He said.

Before I could move, he grabbed my hand, and placed something around my wrist. I looked down. It was a silver band with black cat and crow charms on it. It was beautiful. I smiled at him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you…" I whispered. Surprised, he hugged back. I felt him smirk.

"Happy birthday, Dear Grace."

At this moment, I realized I had just fallen in love with a Demon Butler.


	11. Ch 11: I'm Sorry, but I Can't

**A/N: Sweet Mother of Holy Goat Cheese! 4 chapters in one night! I guess this is supposed to make up for my inactivity over the weekend... ^-^' heh heh...**

Ch. 11

Things were different after my birthday. I felt happier, more alive. Especially when I saw Sebastian, which was every day. He made me smile and laugh, something I never really did with other people before. I always wore my birthday present, and it jingled on my wrist daily.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Sebastian as he entered the room. He was carrying a notepad, which he handed to me as he moved to the other end of the room. "Grace, I need to take inventory of this Cabinet. Please write down all the items I say."

I sighed. "Can't you just do it yourself?" I asked. He looked at me, and came to stand by me. "Well, yes, but this way will be faster. I looked up at him. "Can't you write?" I looked away, blushing. He smirked. "So that's why you always have someone read those notes out loud. You can't read or write." he said. "Shut up." I growled back. "My mother never got around to teaching me." He sighed.

"Then it can't be helped. I'll have to teach you. Come on, we're taking the day off." He grabbed my arm and led me away to a small, unused study.

Three painful hours later, I could read at least half of the alphabet, and write my name. "You know, if you couldn't read or write, what did you teach to Adri all those nights?" he asked, putting away his tutoring glasses. I shrugged. "There weren't really any lessons. But I did sometimes teach Adri some fighting moves, nothing special."

He moved to sit next to me on the table. "I've been thinking about you…" he whispered. "What kind of thoughts?" I whispered back. "You make my heart pound. When I'm with you, I can't breathe. You make me feel like I never have before." He said. My heart skipped a few beats. "I feel exactly the same…" We were moving closer and closer together. Would we kiss? Would I finally break this curse that had trapped me, then led me to the man that I loved?

But before our lips made contact, I had a realization, and I pulled away. I looked at his confused face. "I'm sorry, but I can never love you…" I said.

And then I ran.

I ran out of the house, through the garden, deep into the woods. I ran and ran for a very long time. When I finally ran out of breath, I collapsed under a fallen tree. There was no one but the birds flying above me, and an old snake slithering through the tall grass.

When I was three, and my favorite toy broke, I didn't cry. When my mother was killed, I didn't cry. When her killers found and tortured me, I didn't cry. When my father left me alone with Adri, I didn't cry. When I was cursed by that evil wizard, I didn't cry. But now, huddled under a half-toppled tree, I cried for the first time in fifteen years.

**A/N: So, this is probably one of the saddest chapters I've written yet... but don't worry! ~Always look on the bright side of life!~ Gotta love Monty Python's Spamalot! ;)**


	12. Ch 12: An Old Friend

Ch. 12

After crying my eyes out, I stumbled through the woods towards London. I couldn't go back, not after what just happened. I had realized that if I loved Sebastian, and we kissed, then I would become a demon again. Then my sister would grow old and die, while I lived on forever. To grow old, while your loved ones stay young and healthy… it seemed to be a horrible fate. I couldn't put that one her.

I hadn't been paying attention to my footing, and I tripped on a root. The fall landed me in a thick thorn bush, not a good landing spot. The thorns cut the skin on my arms, legs, and face. That uniform was basically ruined…

I stumbled about for about an hour before reaching the streets of London. I knew just where to go. An old friend who had helped me plenty of times before, he would certainly help me again.

I knocked on the door, then I looked at the sky. It was cloudy, like it might rain. But I knew I had a good deal of time before sunset, which made things slightly better.

"Heehee… Come in…" said a creepy but familiar voice. I walked into the funeral shop and smiled. "It's nice to see you again, dear Uncle Undertaker." I said.

The shop seemed empty at first, but I knew better. I stood in front of a coffin and watched the lid slide open. The Shinigami smiled at me. "Well well, isn't this a nice surprise. You've grown up a bit. But I still believe Adri will soon be taller." He chuckled. "Speaking of her, where is my younger 'niece'?" he asked. I sighed and sat on a coffin. "It's a very long story…" "Then I shall serve drinks and grab some cookies! Oh, and some band-aids!" he said as he danced away. I chuckled.

After dealing with Damien, and no one else to go to, the Undertaker took us in. At first, we just worked for him, helping with the funerals and such, but then we became more like a family. So we started calling him "Uncle", and he raised us like his own. I suppose you could say he was more of a father than our real father. A few years later though, Adri and I recieved a letter telling us to go to a small town a few days' walk from London. The letter stated that we would find someone of great value to us, so we went. That's when I was cursed, along the way.

"I see, that is an interesting story." He grinned as he bit one of his delicious bone cookies. "I'm surprised that you are acquainted so well with the Phantomhive household, the one I work for the most." I sat up. "So the Phantomhives' were some of your clients?" I said as I reached for my milk. "Yes, child. I've worked for them for a great many years, though not quite as long as my soul reaping job."

I sighed and stood up. "Well that's a great bit of information to process; I'm going to take a nap. It's ok for me to hide here for awhile right?" He chuckled at this. "Of course, my 'nieces' are always welcome here." "Is my room even still here?" I called as I headed to the back of the shop, where the living quarters were. "Yes, although you may have to move a few things to get there!" he called back.

After locating my room and moving some coffins out of the way, I sat on my old bed. I smiled at the room. It used to seem so big, now it looked very small. It was the room of a child. There were markings along the wall that showed our height as we grew up. We used to be very small for our ages...I was only ever just barely ahead of Adri, which made me so mad.

Smiling at the memory, I lay down and went to sleep.


	13. Ch 13: So Now What?

Ch. 13

I lived with Uncle for a month. I was surprised when I wasn't followed. It was fun to be his assistant again, opening bodies while eating cookies, designing coffins. I realized I missed that work. It seems gross at first, but it's really educational. After all, Uncle was the first to show me how to easily kill a human. When I worked for Damien, my kills were messy, unclean. Now I could probably make it look like an accident without even thinking.

One day I was in my room, sitting in my old bed. I was busy sewing Teddy back together. He used to be Adri's little bear she dragged around everywhere. I mean, _everywhere!_ He lost an arm a long time ago, probably from being dragged everywhere. So I decided to fix him up. But then someone knocked on the shop.

I was always wary whenever someone knocked, since not too many people came here. But Uncle just always let anyone in. I snuck over to the slightly opened door that separated the house from the shop and peered through the crack. It was my sister! Sebastian and Lord Ciel too! I had to stifle a gasp.

"Welcome again Earl, I see you brought my niece to me!" grinned Uncle. Adri ran to give him a hug. "Uncle! I missed you!" she exclaimed. He smiled. "You really have grown taller haven't you? It's been such a long time!" Then he turned to Lord Ciel. "Now Earl, what brings you here? Is it another investigation hmm?"

"Actually, no it isn't. I am seeking a girl who goes by the name of Grace. Of course, you already know who she is." said the boy. Uncle grinned. "Of course I do… I know where she is too. Since this is a special case, I'll give you the information for free." He then gestured for me to enter. Meekly, I obeyed.

"Gracey!" exclaimed Adri. She ran up and hugged me tightly. Then she slapped me across the face. "How dare you leave without saying anything! I'm going to kill you while you're sleeping!" I sighed as she repeatedly slapped my face. Then Lord Ciel came to us and grabbed her hand. "Adri, I think that's enough…" he said and gently pulled her away. I noticed that he kept his arm around her waist when they moved. That was strange. When did that happen?

"Well Grace?" asked Uncle. "What will you do now?" I looked to Sebastian. He hadn't said anything, just stared at me. I was wearing an outfit very similar to Uncle's, so I probably looked strange. I looked into his ruby eyes. I realized that I shouldn't be running from him. I'd figure out what to do about it later.

"Uncle, I'm going home." I announced. Adri squealed and hugged me. What a kid… Ciel turned to me. "Well, then we should be heading back now, it's getting late." He walked out the door and Sebastian and Adri followed. I hugged my uncle one last time before running after them.

"Now Grace, why did you run away?" asked Lord Ciel. "Well…" I started nervously. All four of us were inside the carriage because they had Tanaka come too, and he was driving. I decided to reveal everything, how embarrassing! I spent the next ten minutes, first explaining, and then trying to avoid Adri's attacks. I was just thankful she didn't bring any knives...

When we finally reached home, we all just stood there awkwardly in the front hall. Adri sighed. "Well, don't just stand there!" she yelled. I looked up at Sebastian, and took a deep breath.

"Sebastian Michaelis… When I am with you, my heart feels as though it will burst into a thousand pieces. No romance novel can begin to express what I feel. I want to be with you for all eternity."

He smiled and put his hand on my cheek. I held it there. "I feel exactly the same…" he whispered.

This time I didn't pull away.

It was the most magical feeling, that kiss. It lasted forever in my mind. When we finally pulled away, there was a look of shock on his face. "Your eyes…" he said. Could it be? Was I normal? I rushed to the mirror in the hall. It was true. My left eye was no longer blue, but the bloody red it was when I was born. I laughed.

"I'm finally back to normal!" I sang as I danced in a happy little circle. Then I stopped.

Something was wrong...

I didn't feel right…

The world is fading…

And that's the last thing I remember before blacking out.

**A/N: Oooohhhh DRAMA BOMB! XD Sorry, I'm hyper from lack of sleep...**


	14. Ch 14: The Mad Demon Inside

Ch. 14

~Sebastian's point of view~

I watched happily as the only girl who ever made me feel more than just lust or hate dance to the mirror on the wall. She giggled happily, and danced some more in a little circle. I was the first to notice her drop to the floor.

The three of us rushed to where she had fallen. "Gracey!" Adri cried, shaking her sister. My master pulled his dear friend off of her. Suddenly, Grace's eyes snapped open wide. She sat up, her hair covering her face. I heard the younger two sigh with relief, but I didn't think everything was all right.

"Grace?" I asked. She giggled again, only this time, it was high-pitched, the giggle of an insane person. Which, I would come to realize later, that was exactly what she was right now. She looked at me with a wide grin, her teeth now viciously pointed. Before I could move; however, she ran out the door. She was a lot faster now that she had been restored to her full power. I looked at Adri, and she looked back at me, clearly frightened.

"W-What happened to my sister?" she asked me. I frowned and thought for a moment. "If I had to guess, that…thing we just saw was another part of that curse. There is no way that could be Grace…" I said firmly. I turned to my master. "Master?" I asked. He thought for a moment. "…No doubt she will go look for…wait, do half-demons even need to eat souls?" he asked. Adri shook her head. "Not really. If they wanted to, they could though. It seems to give them a power boost." I sighed. "This could become a very big problem then…" he replied.

On the outside, I must have looked very calm, but, truthfully, I was very nervous inside. If Grace became too much of a problem, I might've been forced to kill her. I looked down at them. "We must stop this soon!" I said. They nodded in agreement.

I raced to set up a carriage. This task, of course, was no trouble. The whole thing was set up in a matter of minutes. I rushed my master and Adri inside, then jumped into the driver's seat. I snapped the reigns and the horses charged forward. I didn't look back when I heard the servants running out the front doors.

The horses weren't moving fast enough for me. Charging at full speed, London was still an hour's ride away. Grace could probably do all kinds of damage in that time, and I really didn't want to get those Shinigamis involved… I shuddered at the thought of Grell Sutcliff. Adri poked her head out of the carriage window.

"Sebastian slow down! I promise everything will be fine!" I pretended not to hear. If we wanted minimal damage done, we'd have to reach London as soon as possible… The humans could deal with a little bumpiness…

I jumped out of the seat the moment we reached the town. The horses slowed to a stop, sweat streaming down their necks. My master and Adri jumped out. "Oh dear…." I heard him say.

Before us was chaos. There was a very large fire that was spreading very fast, and humans were running everywhere like chickens without their heads. I heard someone scream about dead bodies. No doubt all this was caused by Grace. I heard Adri gasp as she took in the sight. "Did… my sister…?" I nodded. "Stay here and try to help as best you can, I'll find her." I took a few steps forward.

"Sebastian." My master called. I stopped in my tracks and looked back. Now what? "This is an order. Bring Grace back to us alive and well." There was a slight glow from beneath his eye patch, and I felt the familiar slight burn on my hand where my symbol was. I smiled at him. "Yes, My Lord…." And with that, I leapt away.

She wasn't very hard to find, I just had to follow the scent of death and look which way the humans were running from. And then there she was. With fire at her back and several corpses at her feet, my princess of the night. She looked up when I came near, and smiled a grotesque smile.

"Hullo… Sebastian…." She giggled. I sighed. "Grace, look at this mess you made. I'm going to have to clean it all up, aren't I?" She laughed, apparently everything I said was hilarious now. "Sebastian, you old fool. You never did care for anyone but yourself…" She lifted her bloody and torn dress to her knees and pulled out her shotgun. Two shots, aimed for my head. Dodging them was easy enough. What came next was a bit harder.

"I never loved you. You were just a stupid prick who runs around like a filthy dog for his master." She spat. I cringed at her words. I flicked a few knives out of my sleeve and threw them at her. They were dodged, but just barely. While she was distracted, I ran behind her and started to push her, intending to ram her into the building a few feet away. To my surprise, she ducked, and kicked me in the chest, sending me flying. That actually hurt. There was no way I could attack without hurting her. I decided a different route.

"I know your in there… Where is the Grace everyone knows and loves?" I asked, standing up. She grinned at me. "I ate her. She's gone." I rolled my eyes. "I know she's still there, otherwise you wouldn't be wearing that ribbon around your neck." She looked down to her neck, confused. I took this opportunity to pin her to the wall. She struggled, with great strength. But I wasn't going to lose her.

"Wake up Grace!" I yelled in her ear. "Come back!" Her eyes grew wide, and I felt a shudder course through her body. She collapsed against my chest. I held her tightly. She looked up at me weakly. "Sebastian?" She asked. I smiled with relief and held her even tighter. "I'm right here… I always will be…" she smiled and snuggled into me. "I'm really tired…. Can I go to sleep?" she asked. I smiled. "Of course you can." I picked her up and started away as she drifted into a deep slumber.

Of course, we had to be interrupted by Shinigami. That annoying William Spears and creepy Grell Sutcliff stood before us. I sighed.

"Now what do you want?" I asked. "We want her." Said Will as Grell pouted in the background. "She is an unstable threat to the balance, and so she must be destroyed." I frowned. "You can't have her, she's mine. And besides, I fixed the stability problem, at least, for now." Grell wailed. "Oh Bassy, darling, don't tell me you're in love with her!" I smirked at it. "With all my black, cold heart." Will adjusted his glasses while Grell sat crying in the corner. "Well then, YOU are responsible for her. I'll let it slide this time, but if she causes any more trouble, we'll be right on your tail." I smirked again. "Understood. My humblest apologies." I jumped away, leaving them to deal with the mess.

When I returned to the carriage, I was met with a surprising site. People were no longer panicking. Instead, they were working together to put out fires and take care of one another. I looked over and saw the Undertaker passing out cookies to the injured. I approached him.

"Well well well… if it isn't the Phantomhive butler and my dear niece…" he giggled. "And how is our little trouble maker doing now?" He asked, stroking Grace's hair. "Just fine, now. Where are my master and your other niece?" I asked. He gestured to a crate behind him. Ciel and Adri were leaning on each other, asleep. "They worked their little tails of, they did. Got all these people to work together. That's a lot for two children to do alone."

I looked at them surprised, then smiled. If Adri could do that with my master, then she was certainly a suitable bride for him. He may not know it, but I know fully of his plans for her. As I knew fully well my plans for Grace. I lay her in the carriage, then did the same for the other two without waking them. Once they were settled, I drove us home.

**A/N: So here is Chapter 14! Now that this story is all caught up, here is my Deviantart page: Here you can find several drawings of my characters and a few other stories that will be most likely be posted here sooner or later.**


	15. Ch 15: I Swear, Peace Hates Me

Ch. 15

~Back To Grace's POV~

I awoke in the arms of Sebastian, we were in the manor. Adri and Ciel were covered in dirt next to us. "W-what happened?" I asked. Everyone looked at me. "You went insane, probably as another effect of that curse." Lord Ciel said. "Do you remember anything?" asked Adri as Sebastian sat me in a chair.

"The last thing I remember was getting dizzy and falling down after kissing Sebastian." I started. "Then everything was black. I couldn't see anything, but I could hear screams in the distance. I wanted to go to them, but I couldn't move. Then I heard Sebastian screaming loudly and waking me up. Everything was on fire…." I looked at their faces shakily. "What…did I do?" Then for the first time my senses became aware of everything.

Lord Ciel and Adri were covered in not dirt, but soot, like from a fire. The smell of Blood was everywhere. On them, on Sebastian, but mostly on me. I started shaking. "What did I do!?" I screamed at them. Was I a monster now? My mind flashed back to when my mother was killed. I had gone crazy and murdered lots of people. Sebastian put a hand on my shoulder, comforting me.

"Only a few people were hurt…" He said. I smiled at him. "Promise me you will never let me to that again. If I do, kill me." He cringed slightly at the last part. I turned to the other two. "You too. If you must, don't hesitate…" Adri sighed. "You're so dramatic!" she said, putting a hand to her forehead tiredly. "You're on to talk..." muttered Lord Ciel. So this was our happy ending.

But like all happy endings, they don't last.

There was a boom, along with a great shout. We all stood, alert and ready to fight. There was another boom and a flash of light, and before us stood an old man. He had a long grey beard and wore a simple outfit of brown. "How dare you!" He screeched, pointing a bony finger at me. I suddenly recognized him.

"You!" I shouted. "You're that Wizard!" He laughed horribly. "Yeah, that's me. And I still want her!" He shouted, rushing towards Adri. Ciel stood in his path, unsheathing the sword I hadn't noticed he was carrying. "You're going to have to get through me, I'm afraid." smirked the young lord. But that didn't stop the Wizard. "I don't care! I'll turn you into a squirrel!"

Before Sebastian or I could move, another voice rang out.

"Cohan! So this is where you've been!" Another flash of light, and in the path of the Wizard stood a tall young woman with long straight black hair. Her eyes were a bright green, and she wore a simple long black dress with a pointy hat with a pumpkin stitched on. Adri and I stared at her. "Amber?" We said simultaneously.

The wizard stopped in his tracks. "You again! You old hag!" He screeched at her. She glared and punched him in the face, sending him flying across the room. "Who're you calling old?! And I thought I warned you to stop bothering my little cousins!"

Sebastian and Ciel were looking at us, confused. "This is our…. 'cousin' Amber…." Adri explained. "She helped me raise Adri…" I added in. Amber looked at us and walked over. She hugged first me, then Adri. "Hullo! I missed you so much! My, how you've grown!"

As if on cue, the Wizard named Cohan stood up. "She… will… be mine!" he gasped. "Oh shut up you." said Amber, annoyed. "So anyway, how are my girls doing? Oh, who's this?" She asked, finally seeming to notice Sebastian and Ciel. "That'll come later…. Anyway, how do you know that guy? Why does he want Adri?" I asked, pointing to Cohan. "Oh, he and I go way back… and you really don't know? Your sister is a witch, well half a one, anyway." She replied.

I felt my jaw drop to the floor. I could see that everyone else had the same expression. "Didn't you ever have dreams of other people's memories or the future you couldn't explain? Or notice that animals seem to listen to you more than most?" Amber looked surprised. "Well, yeah but…. a Witch? Like you?" Adri replied. "Yup." was the answer.

I couldn't believe I'd never noticed! All these years, and I never noticed my baby sister had magic, shows you how much I pay attention….

"That is one reason why I'm here. You're about the age where you will stop aging. The way it is for witches and wizards, and half-demons," she added, nodding at me. "Is that you will age, somewhat quickly to a certain maturity, then you will stop growing, and live forever. Of course, if the day comes that you wish to die, it is possible… there are very few of the original beings left." she added quietly.

"Um, Amber, why are you here?" I asked, still confused. "First of all, pest control." She stated, snapping her fingers. The old wizard disappeared in a flash of orange light. "Second, Someone needs to train Adri in the magic area. That will be me, of course." She walked over to Lord Ciel, towering over him. "You don't mind, my lord?" she asked.

Obviously still stunned, he simply nodded his head.

She clapped her hands once. "Good! Let us start in the morning! Don't worry about me, I have my own little setup not too far from here! And like that, she was gone in a shower of tiny pumpkins.

I turned to the men. "Well… that's our family…." I said.

"I…. think I'll go to bed. I need to think a bit." Said Adri, heading towards our room.

"I agree, let's all rest now." Lord Ciel agreed. He tried to hide a yawn. "Sebastian…" he called. "Yes, my lord." Sebastian said. But as he passed me he whispered "Go wait in my room." I felt my spine tingle slightly as I nodded and started towards his room, just down the hall from mine.

I sat on his bed. It was rather comfy, and soft. It smelled of him. I had never actually been in there before, but there wasn't really anything anyway. Just a wardrobe, a bed, and a small desk and chair occupied it. I looked up quickly as he entered and removed his jacket.

"I assume you know why I asked you here?" he asked, draping the jacket over the chair. I nodded and smiled seductively. He came and stood before me, smiling as well. "I hoped so…" he pushed me over so he was leaning over me.

"You can always back down you know…" he said. "No…" I replied nervously. "I'm going to do this with you." "Have you even done it before? Or is this you're first time?" He asked, leaning closer. I turned tomato red. "I-I have too done it before! Once, and it was a long time ago!"

I rolled out from under him and sat back up. "Have you?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "Oh, I've had my affairs over the years, most recently with a nun." "Oh…" was all I could say. Then I started.

"You mean you did it with a nun?! What the Hell is wrong with you?!" I screamed at him. "She was quite willing after a few moments. Why? Are you jealous?" He smirked. I sighed. "Oh just shut up." I told him leaning over to kiss him.

That night was the best of my life.

**A/N: Ooooh! XD So, I know I mentioned the nun, from the end of season 1. So now some of you are probably wondering "When does this take place?" Well, I don't really know. I never thought that deeply, 'cuz I'm an idiot. -_-' So, the story doesn't really have a set time. Just thought I'd clear that up for ya. Btw, thanks for all the nice reviews! They really help me get inspired and into that "writing mood"! Also, every time you post a nice review, Alois will do a dance! :D**


	16. Bonus Ch 1

**A/N: This chapter is just a bonus thing that includes a list of details that may have never been made clear in the previous chapters. I'm posting them now, so you can better envision the characters I have created.**

Adri actually speaks with a slightly rougher language (kinda like Undertaker)

When Adri's hair is in a "ponytail" only half goes up. So it basically looks as though she has short hair, but then someone stuck a long ponytail on the back of her head.

90% of Adri's time is not spent cleaning like it should be. She slacks a lot… -_-'

Grace comes from a Noble family, which will be talked about in the next chapter

Grace can not read or write, yet she can play piano.

Grace's hair is always in a bun, except for parties or special occasions.

Amber is tall enough to come to Sebastian's chin.

Amber also has a strange love for pumpkins.

Amber's witch hat is one of those anime magical gravity-defying hats. It rests at an angle on her head, in a position that is impossible for real hats to stay on at.


	17. Bonus Ch 2

**A/N: This is another Bonus Chapter. It shall explain a few things about Grace's past. It's kinda sad, but this is a Black Butler fanfic, no?**

Bonus Chapter:

I sat on the windowsill in my bedroom. Today was my day off. Today was also my mother's birthday, if she were only alive. I leaned back against the sill and remembered.

We lived in a large manor, very similar to this one. I was raised by my mother and her servants, but my father was there sometimes. My mother worked for the Queen secretly. She used to tell me all about it. I remember, she would smile and put a finger to her ruby lips and say: "Remember, It's our little secret!" Then she'd wink her red eyes and adjust her brown hair before changing the topic.

I once met some of the other members she worked with, on accident. My nursemaid, Allison, was out visiting her family in the country. I had a nightmare, and went to find mother. Noticing a light coming from the parlor, I went inside to see if she was there. Instead, I came upon a large group of people I didn't recognize. "M-Mommy?" I asked, scared. Tears started to fall. The adults looked down on me coldly, though I didn't know why. Only one man smiled and took my hand. He had chocolaty brown eyes and shaggy teal hair.

"Now now, a lady should never have a reason to cry. Your mother is this way." He said as he lifted me into his arms. He carried me through the sea of people to where my mother sat in an armchair. "Lucille, I believe we have an un-invited guest." The man said, smiling.

My mother smiled back and sighed. "Oh Grace, what am I ever going to do with you?" she chuckled and set me at her feet. "I see you've met one of my dear friends, Vincent. The man kneeled and kissed my hand. "Earl Phantomhive, at your service." I laughed a little, seeing the Noble act like a Butler. I stood up and curtsied. "Lady Grace, at your service." I heard a few adults laugh.

My mother stood up. "Come, my dear. You should go back to bed." She took my hand and we started to walk out. But then someone called out to us. "Look at that! Our Demon lady Lucille is going soft!" a man roared. My mother shot a piercing look his way. "It would do you good to silence that wild tongue of yours, Bartemus." She said icily. "Or what? Your going to shoot me?" He laughed.

Quick as lightning, my mother reached under her skirt to her thigh, where she kept her handgun strapped at all times. Two shots ran in the air. I looked to the man, wide-eyed. Right behind him were two smoking bullet holes in the wall, half an inch from her head. He was shaking. My mother started walking again, me following close behind.

"You know very well I never miss my targets, Bartemus. Next time you will be dead." She called behind her.

My mother never scared me with her power. Instead, I found it amazing, and wanted to be just like her and work for the queen when I grew up. Of course, that dream would be fulfilled.

I woke up during my fifth birthday to thick smoke. I coughed harshly as I climbed off the sofa I had been napping on. "Ally?" I called. "Mother? Where are you?" I stumbled to the hallway and gasped. It seemed as though every wall was on fire. I ran, keeping my head low, to the kitchen. The flames were largest here, so I assumed this was where the fire started. I wandered along, hearing voices.

"You Bloody Demon!" I heard a man shout. They had to be talking about my mother! I ran into the dining room, where the voices came from, and almost wished I hadn't.

My mother was bound to one of the chairs, knives sticking in her body all over the place. Her face and clothes were bloody, and her hair was fallen around her shoulders, instead of being pinned up in its usual bun. There were eight men surrounding her, with blood on their hands.

"Mother!" I screamed, fearful. One of the men turned towards me. It was Bartemus, that man I had met accidently two years ago. "Catch her too! She's as dangerous as Lucille!" Three of the men started towards me, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust. "Run my dear! Run swift and fast!" my mother called out to me. I obeyed, not looking back. "After her!" Bartemus shouted. I heard my mother cry out in pain.

It wasn't long before I was caught. I had managed to make it through the flames to the rose garden, which hadn't yet been harmed. A man grabbed me by my hair, yanking me to a stop. I flailed wildly, and he shook me like a doll. The other seven ran up behind him and grinned wickedly at me, Bartemus especially.

"What're we gonna do with this 'un Boss?" one asked. He grinned. "Kill her, like her filthy mother of course." He stuck a knife in my back and dragged it upward to the nape of my neck. I screamed and started to shake again, but then I heard my mother's voice in my head.

_"I had hoped this day would never come, the day you were forced to unleash your strength. But I knew I could never fully hide the Demon inside you. Go, my daughter. Let your inner strength be free and save yourself!" _

Once again, I obeyed.

The roses used to be white. Now they were all red. So were my hands. And I didn't care one bit.

I stared at the bodies around me, their blood pooling together. I walked away into the trees calmly, refusing to look back as my home turned into smoky ashes. I wanted to cry, but I heard Vincent's words in my head. _"Now now, a lady should never have a reason to cry." _So I didn't.

"Lady Grace!" I heard a voice shout. I turned back. It was a servant, running toward me. I didn't know him very well, except that he was usually drunk. He finally caught up to me, tall and slightly pudgy. His hair was a deep red color, and his eyes were as blue as my right one. He looked down at me while he caught his breath. "My lady, do you know me?" he asked. I nodded.

"You're Joshua, one of the servants." He nodded and took my hand. "You're also my father."

I'll take care of you, he said. We'll be ok, he said.

Then he impregnated another woman and became a drunkard again, while I supported us.

But at least he gave me Adri before dying.

I snapped out of the memories as I heard a voice calling me. "Grace! O' Grace! Where for art thou Grace?" Sebastian called from below. I smiled at him. "Quoting Shakespeare now?" I called back. He smiled as he noticed me. "He was a rather fine playwright with some interesting works. Decent man too. Come down for tea with me?" he asked. Before I could reply my door opened.

"Hey Grace, Sebastian's looking for you…" said my sister as she walked in holding Ciel's hand. "Oh, never mind, you found him." I smiled at them. "Thanks for coming to tell me. Oh, by the way Ciel…" I said. He turned towards me. "Yes Grace?" he said.

"Your father was a wonderful man." I called as I jumped out the window into Sebastian's arms.


	18. Ch 16: A (Somewhat) Normal Day

Ch. 16

I woke in the arms of Sebastian. His eyes were open, studying me. I smiled at him, remembering the previous night.

"Good morning…" I said, pecking his cheek. He smiled and returned the gesture. I looked out the tiny window and sighed. "I suppose we have to go to get up now, don't we?" from what I could see, the sun was just beginning to rise.

"Yes, I must go wake the young master and take care of those bumbling idiots... And your sister!" He added quickly as I gave him a look. I gave a tiny smile of triumph as we got up and dressed ourselves quickly. We left the room together, but headed separate ways as he went to the kitchen and I went to my room.

"Adri?" I asked as I opened the creaky wooden door. To my surprise, she wasn't there. The room was empty, both beds were made neatly. It was as though she hadn't been there. Frowning, I went to the kitchen.

"…So I believe it would be better not to mention it to her." I heard Sebastian say as I entered the room. Everyone turned to look at me. Except for Adri, I realized they were staring at my left eye, the red one. I blushed slightly as Sebastian came to whisper in my ear.

"I told them you had a strange disease that turned your eye red, and that you were just covering it up." He whispered. I laughed on the inside.

On the outside though, I smiled apologetically. "I'm so sorry for lying to you, everyone. It's just… rather embarrassing…" I pretended to wipe a small tear from my eyes.

Looking up again, I noticed Adri was in the corner, her face all red. It took me a second to realize it was because she was about to burst out laughing. I bit my lip, hoping I wouldn't explode into laughter as well. Luckily, Sebastian saved the day.

With a clap of his hands, he set everyone to work. As we left to perform our duties, I pulled Adri aside. "Where were you? It looked as though you never went to bed!" I whispered at her as we stopped in the hallway.

"That's because I didn't." she replied tiredly. There were dark marks under her eyes. I looked at her quizzically. "Then what did you do?" I asked. "I walked around the mansion." She shrugged my hand off her shoulder and started to walk away. "By the way, you and Sebastian were rather loud last night… Don't worry though; I don't think the other servants heard you."

I blushed madly.

After the young master had finished his breakfast, I set to washing the dishes. It was just me and Bard in the kitchen. I hummed happily as I rubbed the dishes dry. I suddenly felt a pair of large hands slip around my waist. I nearly dropped the plate I held.

"B-Bard! What are you doing?!" I asked nervously. He pulled me into an embrace. "I think you know quite well how I feel." He whispered. I tried to pull away. "No! Sebastian-" "Sebastian shouldn't mind if we're together. I don't see any rulebook saying we can't." He wasn't listening.

I struggled harder. "Bard, listen! You see, I-" I started but was interrupted by a silky voice with a bit of bloodlust mixed into it.

"You see, Bardroy…" started Sebastian, as he pulled me from the cook's strong grip. "She's mine." There was a murderous glint in his eyes. Bard started sweating heavily.

About five minutes later I dragged the unconscious Bardroy against the wall so he'd be more comfortable in his little nap. "I think you went a bit overboard, Sebastian…" I sighed as I grabbed the frying pan from his hand. "Look, you got blood on it! Now I'll have to wash it again.

Sebastian rolled his sleeves back down. "I'm sorry. I do tend to get overprotective of what belongs to me." Annoyed, I whacked him with the pan, creating a large crack in it. "Now look, we'll have to wash it _and_ fix it." He sighed. "Well, it's your fault. Treat me like property again, and I'll whack you harder." I said as I dropped the pan into the dirty water.

He smiled his devilish grin at me and pecked my cheek. "But you do belong to me… remember?" I shivered as I recalled the previous night. "Whatever, just go…" I said, playfully pushing him.

Later, I walked into the gardens to look for my sister. It wasn't hard to find her, I just had to follow the string of curses. It was an interesting sight.

Amber was sitting on an oversized, most likely magical, pumpkin. Adri was freaking out while holding a small grey squirrel who was also freaking out. Sebastian came by us. "What the Hell did you do to the young master?!" he asked. Adri looked up at us, clearly upset.

"I-I didn't mean to! My aim was off, and I turned Ciel into a squirrel!" I stared at her. "So this little guy is Master Ciel? Aww, He's kinda- OUCH!" I cried. I went to pet his head, but he bit me instead.

"Hold on guys, I can fix him…" sighed Amber. She waved her hand, almost as though she were bored, and the squirrel turned back into a human. Because Adri obviously couldn't support him with one hand, they both fell backwards, and Lord Ciel fell awkwardly into her lap.

Blushing madly, he quickly stood up and helped her to her feet. I was trying to hide my laughter, unsuccessfully. Sebastian smiled, but I could tell he laughed on the inside.

"I-I'm going to take care of some business…" stammered the young boy, and he quickly walked away. Amber sighed at Adri. "Ok, let's go try again. But before I forget, Grace, your Uncle says that he will be sending you a package soon."

I looked at her, confused. "You know Uncle?" she winked. "He's a very… entertaining man…" I stared at her in shock. She winked again, and led Adri away to a safer spot, with less people around. I turned to Sebastian.

"And so, our cousin fell in love with our uncle…" I started. He reached for my hand. "And so, the Witch fell in love with the Death God." I smiled as we walked back inside.

**A/N: Me again! :3 If you have any suggestions or questions, go ahead and write them as reviews. Who knows? Your Idea may be the next Chapter! Alois will hopefully be dancing a lot soon...**


	19. Ch 17 Strangers in the Storm

Ch. 17

Rained poured down outside my window as I awoke, three days later. Sighing, I opened my eyes. If there was one thing I absolutely hated, it was water. Some of my cat-like traits had remained, it appeared.

"It looks wet outside…" commented Adri as she sat up in her bed. I rolled my eyes. "No kidding." This was going to be a bad day, I could tell.

When I arrived in the kitchen with my sister, Sebastian was beginning to read off the list of chores for the day. He smirked as we came in. "You two are late again." He muttered as we grabbed plates of leftover breakfast. I kissed his cheek as I passed him to get to the table. He smiled and continued down the list.

"Now then, today, the young Master is having some visitors over to discuss some business matters. Mey-Rin, you polish the silverware. Bard, you are to cook the meat I've placed in the refrigerator. Finny, trim the branches of the trees out in the gardens. Adri, you take care of the laundry. Grace, go and clean the dining room. Our guests will be staying for dinner."

We each set out to take care of the tasks assigned to us. As I dusted every nook and cranny I could find, I allowed my mind to wander. Who were these guests? Didn't Lord Ciel ever let us know there were people coming ahead of time? These thoughts drifted in and out of my head for two hours as I made sure the room was as clean as possible.

Sighing as I finished, I wandered back into the kitchen. "Hello, Bard." I called to the chef as I grabbed a glass of water. I joined him at the table where he sat.

He'd been wary of me at first, after that incident with Sebastian, but he was slowly coming around to being the friendly cook I knew. "Bloody weather…." I muttered as I sat. He chuckled.

"Don't like the rain, eh?" he said. I shook my head. "Nope. It's cold, and it's wet. The two things I hate being most. Don't even get me started on snow…" I said.

Before he could reply, there was a knock at the door. That was strange, the only people who used that door were servants, and we never had to knock, unless our hands were full. Assuming it was Finny, I got up to open it.

Instead of the cheerful little blonde boy, I was met with a head of very shaggy brown hair, just a few shades darker than mine. It was a boy, maybe around sixteen years, in what looked like a long brown sack. He was skinnier than Lord Ciel, but held a wide grin like Uncle Undertaker. His eyes were hidden by his hair.

"Hullo, madam." He greeted in a rough voice that sounded almost female. "Might we trouble you for some bread?" We? I looked down. Hiding behind him, a tiny girl hid behind his legs. She had hair down to her waist, and looked up at me with pleading blue eyes. My heart softened.

"Alright, C'mon in." I gestured the pair into the kitchen. "Bard, find some food for the kids, will you?" I called. I headed towards the laundry room to find some towels.

I arrived back at the kitchen with clean towels and Adri in tow. When I told her we had guests, she stopped her work and followed me. The mysterious pair were sitting at he table, sharing a loaf of bread. From the way they were eating, I assumed it had been their first meal for a very long time.

"Wow, this food is so good!" exclaimed the little girl, starry-eyed. Bard shrugged. "It's not our best, it might even be stale…." But I don't think they heard him. I looked out the window. The rain was falling harder, and lightning flashed in the distance.

"It's dangerous to go out there in that storm, so why don't you stay here for the night?" I asked gently. The boy stood up. "That would be very much appreciated. To repay you, I will do whatever work you need help with." I smiled at him but Adri and Bard pulled me aside.

"Do you think Sebastian and the master will allow those two to stay here? From the looks of things, that storm will be going on all night!" whispered Bard. I shrugged. "I'll handle Sebastian. Adri, will you…?" I stated. She nodded. "I take care of Ciel…" she said.

I turned back to our guests. "Ok, you two can help out a bit today, as we are expecting guests. My name is Grace. This is Bard, the chef, and Adri, my sister." I introduced to them. He grinned widely.

"My name is Lex. This here's my lil' sister Violet." He gestured to his sister, and she hid shyly behind him again. I smiled at them, when that silky voice rang out again.

"My my, and what do we have here?" Sebastian said as he entered the room, setting his tray on the counter. "Sebastian, I invited these two to stay here for the night, because of the storm…." I said slowly, sliding up to him.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Oh really?" he asked. I batted my eyelashes at him. "They promised to help…." I added. He sighed. "I suppose it's okay…" he trailed off. I smiled at him. "Adri, go find something for these two to wear for the day. We can't have them going around like that." He added.

"C'mon, I'll take you to the laundry room. Maybe we have some clothes that'll fit…" she said, leading them away.

"Now, normally one _asks_ before inviting strangers into one's house." Said Sebastian, turning towards me. I smiled at him innocently before leaving the kitchen.

Wandering the great house, I stopped just outside the main entrance room. Lord Ciel was greeting two people, most likely his guests. Peeking around the doorframe, I studied these people.

They were Chinese, one a man who was tall and smiled at the boy in a friendly manner. However, there was something in his smile that said he couldn't always be trusted. Clinging to him was a small girl in a very revealing kimono. I leaned closer before falling on my face, much to my embarrassment.

The trio looked over at me. I quickly stood, trying to readjust myself. That man smiled again.

"Well Earl, it seems you have another clumsy maid…." He said in a smooth voice. Lord Ciel sighed. "Grace, what do you want?" "Oh… nothing, I just wanted to see who was visiting today, I'll just be on my way now!" I babbled as I quickly walked away. Well, that was embarrassing…..

I wandered into the servant's halls when I passed Adri. "Oh, Grace, there's something I need to tell you about one of those kids…" she started before Sebastian came by and interrupted.

"Adri, The young master would like some tea for his guests. Be a good girl and handle it for me?" She stuck her tongue out at him, but obeyed anyway.

As she walked away I turned to Sebastian. "By the way, where are those two that I let in?" I asked him. "I believe they're in the kitchen doing dishes." He said. I walked past him to check.

I the kitchen, like he said, they were handling the dishes while Mey-Rin and Finny sat at the table. "Wow, you two sure do work well together!" exclaimed Finny. Lex flashed a wide grin in response. He wore a spare set of Finny's clothes, and Violet wore one of Bard's shirts.

"We've been together forever. No doubt we'll always know what the other 'un's thinking. Teamwork's a breeze." He said before coughing. "Sorry, sore throat."

Finny was right. Upon observation, the pair seemed to work unbelievably well together. The moment Lex finished washing a dish, Little Violet would grab it, dry it, and run it over to the counter to be put away. Then she would run back and do it again. I set out to help them and put the stack of dishes away.

"So where did you two come from? This place is quite a ways out." I said idly. Violet looked up at me happily. "We walked all the way here from London!" she exclaimed. "London? That's far away isn't it?" asked Mey-Rin. Lex nodded. "We've been "mansion hopping" all over, for a few weeks now." I nodded.

Mansion hopping was when beggars, usually kids like these two, traveled the country from mansion to mansion, working for about a day or two in return for some food and rest, before moving on to the next one. It was similar to what Adri and I did, before coming here.

"Now, don't tell me you're thieves." A rich young voice stated. Everyone turned to see Lord Ciel standing in the doorway, Sebastian behind him. Lex laughed, his mouth fully opened and wide.

"Trust me, if we were thieves, you'd know. Especially since I have no sneaky skills what so ever!" I wanted to smack Lord Ciel for being rude, but on the other hand, he did have a point. "Are you thieves?" I asked Lex. Violet jumped up.

"No! There's no way me or big sis would ever steal!" she exclaimed loudly. We all stared at the tiny girl. "Big….sis?" I asked. She nodded fiercely. We all turned to Lex. "You're… a girl?" asked Finny. When Lex nodded, he blushed slightly, realizing a girl was wearing his clothes.

"Well why didn't you say so?" I said. Lex shrugged. "You didn't ask. Most people never do understand that 'Lex' is short for 'Alexis' anyway, so everyone thinks I'm a boy. Not to mention this damn sore throat..." he- she cleared her throat harshly. "Better?" she asked, in a much more female-sounding voice.

No one said anything for a while, we all just stared at her. Then Adri burst in.

"Oh, there you are. Ciel, that creepy guy wants to talk to you." She said. Lord Ciel sighed before leaving, Sebastian following close behind. "Adri, did you know-" "That Lex is a girl? Yes. I tried to tell you earlier." She replied with a sigh. "Anyway, I've got a small room for you guys to sleep in tonight. Grace, will you go find some more blankets?"

Before I could walk away, Lex stopped me. "You're Grace of the Phantomhive manor right?" she asked. I nodded slowly, staring at her. "Yes… why?" She handed me a small package. I took it, wondering where it came from. "This is from the Undertaker. He's a friend of ours, and he asked us to give this to you!" She grinned widely before following Adri out the door, Violet in tow.

I opened the box and smiled. Inside was the Teddy bear that Adri had always carried around as a child. When I visited Uncle, I had started to repair him, since he was so torn up. Now, he sat in the box, looking as though he were brand new. Man, I had some crazy relatives….


End file.
